Electric clock for use in exposed places



(No Model.) QSheets-Sheet 1. A. SPEER. BLEGTRIO 01.001! FOR USE INEXPOSED PLACES.

No. 407,945. Patented July 30, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. SPEER. ELECTRIC CLOCK FOR USE IN EXPOSED PLACES. No. 407,945.Patented July 30, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SPEER, OF PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC CLOCK FOR USE IN EXPOSED PLACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 407,945, dated July 30,1889.

Application filed September 22, 1888. Serial No. 286,115. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SPEER, of Passaic, in the county of Passaicand State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements inElectric Clocks, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which-Figure l is a front elevation of a clock constructed according to myimprovement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the hands andhand-propelling mechanism, showing the electric circuits and controllingdevices diagrammatically; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevation ofthe ratchet-wheel, showing the detent.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin all theviews.

The object of my invention is to construct a clock with a dial of largediameter and hands of corresponding length and to provide mechanism fordriving the said hands by power applied to their outer extremities,thereby allowing the hands to be moved with sufficient power to overcomethe resistance of the wind and of ice, snow, or sleet.

My invention consists in the combination, with one or both of the hands,of electricallyoperated mechanism for advancing the hands by astepby-step movement, the electro-mechanical devices acting throughpawl-and ratchet mechanism upon pinions meshing into stationary circularracks.

The invention also consists in the combination, with thepawl-and-ratchet mechanism, of a detent for preventing theratchet-wheels from being carried forward by their own momentum afterthey have been moved by the pawls.

It also further consists in the combination, with the electro-mechanicaldevices carried by the hands, of a time-measuring devicesuch as apendulum or clock-a1 anged to control the electric current.

My improved clock is designed to be constructed on a large scale fortower-clocks, parks, and public places; and, although I shall describemy invention in connection with a supporting-frame, I do not limit orconfine myself to this construction, as both the dial and propellingmechanism may be arranged upon a tower or similar support. The dial isformed of the hexagonal frame E, the hexagonal frame E, and radial armsF, secured to the hexagonal frames and prolonged beyond the outer frameE to receive the characters G, which mark the hours. The dial thusconstructed is mounted upon the supporting-frame D. To the radial arms Fare secured two concentric circular racks r r, the rack 0" having itsteeth upon the outer edge and the rack 1" having its teeth upon theinner edge.

In the frame-work of the dial and in the supporting-frame D is journaledthe shaft 3, to which is secured the minute-hand A, which extends in theusual way to the figures on the dial marking the hours. Upon the sameshaft 3, behind thehand A, is loosely mounted the hand 0, which extendsto a point a little beyond the rack '7'. To the back of the hand A, nearthe outer end thereof, is secured a base-plate H, carrying a stud .9upon which is journaled the ratchet-wheel \V, which is provided withroller-studs 6, adapted to engage the teeth of the circular rack 7.

To the base-plate II are pivoted the levers Z Z of the first order, thelever Z being pivotally connected with a rod b the said rod beingconnected with the lever l by a link 5 To the lever 15 is pivoted thespringthe teeth of the ratchet-wheel \V. The lever Z carries aspring-pressed pawl (1', which engages the ratchet-wheel W. The saidlevers Z Z and pawls d cl are oppositely arranged with reference to eachother, so that when one of the pawls is moved forward in engagement withthe teeth of the ratchet wheel \V the other will be moved backpreparatory to a re-engagement with the teeth of the said wheel. Themotion of the lever Z is limited by the stops h, secured to thebase-plate H. In the back of the ratchet-wheel IV are illserted studs c,and to the base-plate H is pivoted a detent Z", provided with pallets 0,adapted to engage the studs 6'. The detent Z is connected by a link bwith one end of the lever P. To the back of the minute-hand A is pivoteda lever l of the first order, which is pivotally connected with the rod5 Upon a prolongation of the hand A beyond the shaft pressed pawl (Z,which is arranged to act upon 3 are 111011111 011. two eleetro-1nagnetsM 111, with arlnature-levcrs (L a, each having an armature of magneticmaterial, preferably of soft iron, arranged transversely on its leveropposite the face of the poles of the magnet, and between the saideleetroanagnets and the shaft .9 the lover I of 1110 first order ispivoted to the back of the hand A. The arn1aturo lever 11 is connectedby a-rod h with one arm of the lever 7, and the armature-lever 11 isconnected by a rod 11 with the opposite arm of the lever. ()pposite endsof the said lever [are connected with corresponding ends of the lever Zby rods 11. One terminal 01? each magnet M M, is connected by a wire 33with one pole of the battery 13, and. the re111aining terminals areconnected by wires 1 5 with contacts 1), arranged 1111 opposite sides ofthe pendulum 1., the said pendulum being in electrical connection withthe remaining pole of the battery 1 so that as the pendulum swings atthe end of its excursion it makes electrical contacts, which operate the111agnets M M in alternation.

A base-plate 11., attached to the back of the hour-hand O, nearits outer011d, carries a stud s, upon which is journaled a ratchet-wheel \V,provided with roller-studs e, as in the other case, which engage thecircular rack 1", and the back of the ratchetavheel \V is provided withstuds 12, which are engaged by adetent in the manner shown in Fi To thebase-plate U. is pivoted a lever 11 111 the first order, carrying twoarms 11" 117. The arm '11 carries a spring-pressed pawl 41', which. 011-gages the ratchet-wheel W, and the lever 11f carries a spring-pressedpawl. 1 which also engages the ratchet-wheel \V, the pawls .1; 1 beingarrzmged to alternate with each other in their operation. The arm 11 isconnected with the detent To the back of the hourhand is pivoted a lever12; of the first order, whose opposite arms are connected by the rods111 with the corresponding arms 01 the lever 11.

Upon the shaft 8, behind. the hand is socured at spur-wheel p, whichengages a pin- 101111", attached to the spur-wheel 21*,1110 saidspur-wheel being arranged. to turn on the stud .s",1' ro 'ecting fromthe back of thehand (1. The spur-wheel 1 engages a pinion p, turning 011the stud 71 and carrying the crank 11. The said crank 11 is connected bya link '11 with a toggle 101'111011 of the bars 11 11?, the bar 11%being pivotally connected with the le ver 11, and the bar 11 beingpivoted. on the stud (f projecting from the back of the hand 0.

The operation of my i111proved clock is as follow By the swinging ol thependulum 1 electric connection made with the contactsprings p inalternation, thus sending the electric current from the battery 13through the electro-n1agnets M M in alternation. hen the 111agnet hl. isenergized, the armature-lever11 is drawn forward and the lever! istilted 011 its pivot, thus i111parting motion to the lever Z and,through the rod 11 connected therewith, to the levers/"F. .l"hepa\\'ls d11' carried by the said levers engage 1he ratchet-1111001 W inalternation and cause it to rotate with an intermittent rotary motion.The engagement 011' the roller-siuds 0 with the circular rack 1' causesthe hand A to advance as the ratchet-whee1 '11" turns. The detent I, byengaging the studs 0, prevents the said wheel 1V from bei1'1g carriedforward by its own 111on10n1'u111. As thehand A revolves, it carrieswith it the spur-wheel 1, which, through the 111011111111 of the pinionp and wheel 11*, rotates the pinion p", and. through it the crank 11attached thereto. The crank '11 imparts motion to the toggle .l'tn'niedelf the bars 1111?, and the said 1o; e 1110ves the lever 11", and the11111101, through the medium 01' the rods 111, oscillates the lever 11,which in turn operates the pawls 1r 1 and the detent The ratchet-wheel.1V, operated by the said pawls, is thus revolved i11tern1ittently, andthe engagernent of the studs 0 with the said ratchetwheel causes thehand. to be carried torward at a speed which is 1111e-twc11i'l11. 1hatof the hand A. The detentt" prevents 1111511111 1 \v" 1'1'0111 rotatingby its own 11101111 11111.1111. The hands A (,1 are prevented fromswinging outward away 11'0111 the racks 1' r by 1110 rollers g g, whichare carried by the hands and extend partly across the back 111: the saidracks.

Having thus described my inven tion, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby LettersPaton 11- 1. 111 a clock, 1110 conrl1ination, with the hourand minute hands, 01. propelling mechanism attached. to the pointingends 111' the hands, substantially as specified.

2. 111 an electric-clock moven11'1nt, the com bination, with the clockhands and dial, o1. electrically-o1 1erated pawl-a11dratehet mechanismcarried near the outer ends 111' the hands and tracks atlached to thedial and adapted to be engaged by the hand-11171111111 ling mechanism,substantially as specified.

3. .111 an electric clock, the combination, with the hand A, 01 themagnets M M, at tached 1.0 the hand A, the armaturc-levers (l 11, thelovers 1 Z, the levers 7* 7, the pawls (I 1, the ratchet-wheel 11', thestuds (2, carried by the ratchet-wheel, and the toothed eircnlar rack1', {1 111110111311 to the pawl and adapted to be engaged by the studs0, substantiallyas specified.

1:. In an electric clock, the combination, with the hand A, of the111agne1s M )l', at tached to the hand A, 1110 armature-levers 11 11,the lovers l l, the levers I", the pawls r/ d, the ratchet-wheel W, thestuds 0, carried by 1110 ratehet-wheel, the detent I", and the toothedcircular rack 1', attached to the dial and 1111111111011. to be engagedby the studs 1', substantially as specified.

5. The 11011111111111.1011, with the 111inute-hand A, provided withelectro-meel11111111111 propelling mechanism, of the spur-wl1eel p,carried by the hand A, the hand the pinion p spur-Wheel p and pinion pcarried by the hand 0, the crank 01, attached to the pinion 19 thelevers n 01 the toggle formed of the bars 91 M, the connecting-rod 11the pawls 00 5 y, pivotally attached to the lever if, the ratchet-Wheelthe studs 9, carried by the said ratchet-Wheel, and the rods m,substantially as specified.

6. The combination, With a pair of clock- [0 hands propelledelectrically from their extremities, of a time electric-circuit makerand breaker, substantially as specified.

7. The combination,with the circular racks r r, and hands A O,.of therollers g g, substantially as specified. I5

8. The combination, with a pair of clockhands, of electro-magneticdriving mechanism carried by one of the hands and mechanism forcommunicating motion from the electrically-operated hand to propellingmech- 2o anisln at the extremity of the other hand, substantiallyasspecified.

ALFRED SPEER. lVitnesses:

WM. H. SPEER, JOHN DUFFUS.

